


Precedence

by semnai



Series: Semn's MartinElias Week Fills [1]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Elias' competency kink is showing, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Season 4 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27928162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/semnai/pseuds/semnai
Summary: Martin comes home from work to find Elias Bouchard in his flat with a request... which would be weird enough even if Elias wasn't supposed to be in prison.MartinElias Week - Day 1 - History / Inheritance / Class
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Elias Bouchard
Series: Semn's MartinElias Week Fills [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046962
Comments: 3
Kudos: 47
Collections: MartinElias Week 2020





	Precedence

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 1 of MartinElias Week, using the prompt Inheritance, but a tad of Class.
> 
> Pre-Season 4 canon divergence - Elias nabs Martin first (and there's no bet apparently).

"What is this?" Martin demanded, brow furrowed, as he looked down at the stack of papers and then back up at Elias. Elias, for his part, gazed back nonchalantly, just a hint of a smile, as if he belonged here in Martin's flat, as if he shouldn't currently be locked up in prison.

"A legally binding contract," Elias answered calmly. As he spoke, he pulled back one of Martin's kitchen chairs from the beat-up table, rocking it back and forth on its uneven legs

"Oh, like it went so well the first time I signed something you gave me," Martin said scathingly. "Stop being so withholding. For what?"

Elias chuckled to himself. "I really enjoy when you get so commanding." Apparently deciding the chair was suitable enough, Elias primly took a seat. "I  _ am  _ disappointed though I haven't been offered any tea -- you would shudder if you saw the stuff they serve us in prison."

Martin sputtered. "You--you show up at my flat-- ask me to sign some papers, and then have the audacity to chide me for not serving you tea?" Martin ran a hand through his hair before growling, patience completely gone. It was 9pm, Thursday night after a long stressful day at the job he's stuck in, that's killed his--his friends, his co-workers, thanks to this man and--and fear entities--and said man is standing in front of him, being purposely difficult. 

"Okay that's it." He stepped around the table to Elias, who continued to calmly observe him with a benign smile, and grabbed Elias' lapels. "What. Do. You. Want. No, wait I'll rephrase that, apparently  _ you  _ need specifics. Why do you want me to sign those papers?"

Their faces were close-- close enough that Martin could not help but look him in the eye, and Martin's breath caught slightly as he felt a spike of something he desperately wished was fear… or hate. Elias was, to Martin's dismay, still smiling, probably reading his mind this very second, and slightly flushed. 

"To benefit you, of course. They name you as the Magnus Institute's keeper while I'm… indisposed, and to befit you in this new position, it arranges for a hefty bonus and sizable salary increase when-- I mean-- if you were to accept my proposal." 

Martin let Elias drop back down on the seat with an incredulous laugh, halfway to manic in his disbelief. Elias, for his part, immediately adjusted his collar and smoothed down his shirt. "Accept your proposal, hah. As I already mentioned,  _ it just went so well  _ the first time I signed something from you."

"Hm," Elias said with a slight tilt to his head, in a maddeningly polite tone. "I rather think you will."

"Why's that?"

"Now Martin, please hear me out. Your mother is not doing so well, is she? I suspect you'll need to arrange a funeral soon… and those don't come cheap. Neither of you have much saved up, and I know you'd want to at least give her a proper burial."

Martin felt his breath quicken, fear, anger, helplessness-- "You -- don't you  _ dare-- _ "

Elias put up his hands, in a surrendering, pacifying gesture. "Ah-- that's not all. Without a head of the Magnus Institute, the Institute, and consequently all of its employees, from the library to the Archives, are exposed. If someone was to officially agree to take over that position, even if just in the interim, it would provide a sort of protection to all. I don't think you'd want to leave everyone exposed when I'm offering you a solution, yes?"

Martin clenched his fists as he breathed in through his nose and out his mouth, trying to push past the instinct to punch Elias in his smarmy face and throw him out of his flat-- he wasn't sure he was even in his right mind as he hadn't done that the second he had opened the door to find Elias waiting in his living room.

"Martin?" Elias asked pointedly after a minute or so passed in silence. "I don't actually have all night, I need to be back to the prison before morning count."

"Yes, yes all right. I'm thinking." He started quickly flipping through the thick packet of papers filled with incomprehensible legalese, before stopping with a sudden thought.

"Wait," Martin said slowly, suspiciously. "Why me?"

"Hmph," Elias responded with another smile, and smoothly got up out of his chair, stepping forward into Martin's space. Martin, with some effort, successfully caught himself from flinching back. "Why you, indeed. You're smart, Martin. Clever. I--" Elias caught his eye again, and as Martin tried to look away, Elias placed both hands on either side of Martin's head, ensnaring him. Martin, in shock, didn't move. "I think you would be able to run my Institute," Elias continued as if he wasn't holding Martin, as if his fingers weren't threading through his hair. "-- I  _ trust  _ you to run my Institute-- well enough to ensure its safety while I'm gone. You're very good at taking care of things, aren't you?"

"Prick," Martin muttered under his breath, trying not to think about how close they were, how soft Elias' hands felt, how long it had been since he kissed someone, or how aggravatingly handsome that smirk was on his face. Instead he attempted to remind himself how furious he was with Elias. "But--there's a--a catch," he managed, as Elias' eyes dropped to his lips, and then back up to meet his again. 

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. There's really only one way to find out," Elias said with a little shrug.

Martin took a deep breath, leaned in minutely, before abruptly stepping out of Elias' grasp with a small smile of his own. "Fine. Fine. I'll sign."

Elias appeared... surprised at Martin pulling away, as taken aback as Martin supposed Elias could be, before nodding, pleased. "Wonderful, I had been a bit afraid it would take all night to convince you."

After scrounging out a pen (refusing Elias' offer of his just to see Elias' pinched face of displeasure), Martin ran through the document, signing everywhere indicated, which was quite a lot. Finished, Martin unceremoniously dropped the pen on the table. "There. Happy? Can you leave now? Go back to the nice little cell  _ I put you in _ ?"

"Ecstatic." Elias glanced around Martin's flat. "Just a suggestion… from one Head of the Magnus Institute to another: you might want to think about getting some new clothes, a better place… You'll be able to afford it with the salary increase."

"Great. Leave," Martin said wearily. "Please?" he added as an afterthought.

"As you wish," Elias said softly, picking up the stack of paperwork with another smirk. "Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything. We both now have a common interest." He very purposely placed a hand on Martin's arm. Martin could feel the warmth from his hand through his thin long sleeved shirt. "You know where to find me."    
  
And with that, Elias was gone, out the door.

After a long moment of uncertainty, as if he was expecting Elias to burst back in, for  _ something  _ to happen, it was just… quiet except for the ordinary sounds of London at night. Martin sighed.

He pulled back the chair Elias had been sitting in and collapsed, thinking about putting a kettle on finally. Head of the Magnus Institute. Him. His mind almost rebelled against the thought, it sounded so ridiculous. It was going to take him a while to wrap his mind around that. But at least it would keep him busy; he had  _ a lot _ to keep his mind off of.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! Comments and kudos fuel me. 
> 
> Somehow whenever I write stuff for MartinElias, it always ends up being a part of a 10,000 word slowburn. So...... sorry if you were expecting more. But Elias has just realized how much Martin impresses him! Martin is just VERY confused and gay.


End file.
